Safety ball trap



Dec. 4, 1945. F. c. SAMS SAFETY BALL TRAP Filed Feb. 17, 1944 INI ENTOR.

. FRAND 5 1:. s ms ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OF FIiCEi.

SAFETY BALL ,TR P

EranciSJCLs. Sams; Bath, N. Y.

Application February 17, 1944, Serial 'No. 522,817. 4 Claims. (ct 272-41 My inventionrelates to. bowling alleys, and more particularly to an improved safety ball trap for a ball in motion on the ball return. runway thereof.

Insofar as I am aware, isisusual for bowling establishments to purchase, install and. operate bowling alleys. completely devoid of any means for preventinga returning ball. from rolling back toward the ball pit should the ball haveinsufilcient momentum in its travel along the; return runway to carry it up the inclineand onto the ball rack at the runwa end. Such lackof m0- mentum is presumably due to a number of causes, and such failure ofthe ball to roll. up and onto the ball rack often occurs notwithstanding the fact that the ball return runway may be perfectly designed. Atmospheric conditions ma be one cause of such failure; lack of cleanliness another; or the pin boy may be at fault. As to atmospheric conditions, obviouslyif the runway is damp and sticky, the ball will not, roll as freely and smoothly therealong as would. be the case if the runway were dry. The same. is true if the runway is dusty and dirty. In the case ofthe pin boy, the fault may lie in an improper handling of the ball. A slight backspin impartedto, the. ball; by the pin bo at the moment ofits-releasenotinfrequently prevents the ball from attaining the required, momentum. Regardless of the. cause, backward rolling movement of a bowling ball, once on, the return runway, is to be avoided if possible. Otherwise, a number of objectionable things can happen. If the player awaiting the return of the ball attempts to retrieve it during its backward rolling movement, there, is always the possibility that he may get his fingers badly injured. This for the reason that by the time he reaches the backwardl rolling ball, the next ball to be returned along the runway may be approaching and may come in contact with his fingers at the ver moment he attempts to retrieve the first returned ball. If, on the other hand, no attempt is made to retrieve the back.- wardly rolling ball, it is more than likely. it and the next approaching ball will collide with considerable impact, and with the result. that one or the other or both will be chipped or dented. Either or both occurrences are definitelyv to be avoided, not only for the reasons stated above,

but additionally because of the time lostin play and the general resulting confusion.

With the above in mind, it is an objectof the present invention to provide a so-called; safety ball trap which will act automatically to prevent a, bowling ball fromrolling back beyonda given point on the, return runway should the ball lack sufficient momentum in. itsforward rolling movement to carry it,.up the usual incline. and on to that part of the runway serving asa ball;rack

A-, further object. of the invent on. is. qpr yide a safety ball, trapowhich not only actsautomatically to trap. and, hold, a. ball. against. untoward backward rollin .rnovement, but. in ad ition, pro iding. the mom ntum ofthe all n. itsnormal return movement is sufiicient, acts, automatically o admitof its passa e freely and without retard.- atio-n. therebeyond and ontotheball rack.

A stillfurther object orthe invention is to provide asaffety, ball trap which. issimple and fully automaticin its operation, which is inexpensive to manufacture and install, andiwhich is usable on new as well as on existin bowling alley return runways with. only minor modifications in the structure thereof.

Qther objects and advantages of the invention willj be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the, drawing, wlt'ereinv like reference characs ters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several'views:

Fig, I is a side elevation of that portion off-the ball return runway of a bowling alley to which the safety ball trap is attached;

Fig. 2; is an enlarged-section on-the -line-2-2 ofpFig. 1;

Big. 3is a side elevation of thesafety ball trap illustrated in Fig 2 Fig. 4'is an enlarged section on the-line- ;4=-4 f F Fig, 51is a top plan view of the safety-balltrap shownin Fig, 3; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section showing-the preferred construction of the ball stop.

The safety ball trap, designated in itsentirety as Ill, is shown in Fig. 1' as attached to the incline ll of the ball returnrunwa |2*of a conventional bowling alley l3. Itcomprises-asteel frame or band It bent as shown in Fig; 2 topenmit astandard bowling ball l5- to pass freely therethrough, The-lower part of theband or frame 14 is'bent asindicatedfit- IG-to-fitthe-runway I2 which, as shown in Fig; 2, comprises spaced parallel rails or runners an-d isfurther bent as at "to fit'againstthe sidesofa-spacer block: I 8; to which it isfastened as by--bolts-l9. The reasonfor the spacer block will be hereint after set fortlr,

The only movable orworking part ofthe safety balltrap isshown enlarged in1Fig; 6. Suclrpart comprises a strong metal hinge- 270' having-an equally stron h n Pin 21; The; reason for making both the hinge and hinge pin strong is obvious, when it is considered that in the operation of the ball trap, the hinge and its pin are required to bear an impact load equivalent to that obtained by dropping a sixteen pound bowling ball thereagainst. One side of the hinge 20 is fastened to the band or frame [4 as by bolts 22 having their opposite ends extended beyond the opposite faces of the band. The other of the hinge sides is similarly fastened as by bolts 23 to a metal plate 24 so that normally the bolts 23 and 22, on the top or inner side of the band, engage one another, and due to such engagement hold the two hinged sides or plates at an angle one to the other of somewhat less than 90.

Fastened to the hinge-supported plate 24 by the bolts 23 (or by other means if desired) are two pieces of durable leather 25not too flexible. Two pieces of leather, it has been deter--' mined, give about the proper thickness and are somewhat more flexible than would be a single piece of the same thickness asthe two. Also, they are much cheaper to replace when worn. Designedly, the leather pieces 25 are so placed and dimensioned that the top edges thereof extend slightly beyond the hinge pin 21, whereas the opposite lower edges thereof extend beyond the free end of the hinge-supported plate 24. Collectively, the hinge 20 and its associated or attached parts constitute the active ball stop member of the device. Note also that the extended edges of the leather pieces at the top of the plate 24 admit of clearness between the leather pieces and the hinge joint when the former are swung to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6. The reason for thus extending the leather pieces is that they will, when swung into contact with the headed bolts 22, limit the extent of such upward swing. By thus limiting the upward swing of the ball stop, all tendency of the latter toremain in its upwardly swung position is avoided. Gravity immediately acts to counteract the upward swing and the ball stop will promptly fall the moment the ball in its normal return movement along the runway shall have passed through and beyond the frame.

, For reasonshereinafter pointed out, the frame I4 is provided with bumpers 26 and 21. The bumpers 26 are preferably placed slightly above and one one either side of the center of the bowling ball as it passes through the frame, whereas the bumpers 21 are slightly larger and are preferably located one each on opposite sides of the ball stop hinge 2| and above the bumpers 26- suitable clearance for the passage of the ball through the band or frame 14 in each case being provided. Preferably, the bumpers 26 and 21 are of U-shape in cross-section, are made of leather, and are riveted or otherwise fastened to the band with their bight portions or rounded edges facing away from the ball in its normal return passage through the frame.

In addition to the bumpers 26 and 21, the frame or band i4 is provided with. a so-called safety shield 28. This shield is fastened to the frame on the opposite side thereof from the ball stop and is large enough to prevent the retriever of a trapped ball from inadvertently putting his hand through the frame to push the ball out of the trap. Unless so prevented, there is always the danger that the ball retriever may have his fingers injured by a second ball which may, in the interim, have started its rolling return along the runway from the-ball pit.

To install the trap, the spacer block I8 is first removed so that the band can be passed around the runway l2 and put in the position shown in Fig. 1. When thus positioned, it is fastened to the runway by screws or other suitable means 29. The spacer block I8 is then replaced and bolted as at 19 to add strength not only to the runway but to the trap as well. Preferably, the width of the spacer block I8 is such that when the bolts l9 are drawn tight, the runners or rails of the runway will not be forced out of parallelism, as an added precaution, and to lend rigidity to the safety ball trap, a brace 30, shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, may be extended downward therefrom to the floor of the alley l3.

Having thus described the construction of the safety ball trap, it now remains to briefly set forth the manner in which it operates. The trap is placed, as shown in Fig. l, at a selected point on the incline ll of the runway I2 with the hinge or movable part thereof facing the ball rack. Ordinarily, the ball I5 rolls along the runway on a fiber track 3| shown in Figs. 2 and 4, up the incline II, through the frame or band [4, and hence beyond the trap l0, and, if its momentum is sufficient, finally up and on to the ball rack at the runway end. Assuming, now, that for one cause or another the momentum of the ball in its rolling return movement is insufficient to carry it beyond the position indicated by the oppositely pointing arrows of Fig. 1. In such case, and having attained such a position, the ball will hestitate a moment and then begin to roll back down the incline l I. Such backward rolling movement will continue until the ball comes in contact with the leather ball stop 25 which, by the time the backwardly rolling ball reaches it, will have assumed the full line position shown in Fig. 6 notwithstanding the fact that the ball in its forward rolling movement a moment earlier caused it to swing through the dotted line arc indicated in said Fig. 6. As the hinge will only close so far due to contact between the bolts 22 and 23, obviously there is insufficient space within the fram I4 for the ball to pass backwardly beyond the ball stop. In other words, the ball is trapped, as

indicated by the full line showing of the ball IS in Fig. 1. Since the trapped ball is predominantly disposed on the top side of the trap it is easy to retrieve, and without risk of injury in' so doing, by merely lifting it off the runway with both hands. The retriever, by placing his hands on opposite sides of the ball, and lifting it out of the trap, avoids all risk of injury in so doing. Furthermore, the bumpers 26 and 21, in addition to preventing the backwardly rolling ball from jumping the track, act also as safety shields in that they prevent the retriever of the trapped ball from placing either hand between the ball and the then encircling band or frame.

A safety ball trap thus characterized is fully automatic in its operation, is completely foolproof, is inexpensive to manufacture and install, and will, if adopted as standard bowling alley equipment, largely, if not wholly eliminate those constantly recurring injuries to which bowlers are subjected and which result from attempting to retrieve a ball havinginsufilcient momentum to roll up the runway incline and on to the ball rack at the runway end.

While I have described my invention in detail in .its present preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after understanding myinvention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. I aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bowling alley ball-return runway having an inclined portion adjacent to one end thereof, a safety ball-trap for said runway comprising generally circular band adapted to bridge said inclined runway portion, a hinge comprising pinjointed hinge plates one of which lies flat against said band and the other of which hangs loosely from said pin-joint, a non-metallic ball-stop member carried by said last mentioned hinge plate and adapted normally to occupy a position in the path of travel of a ball along said inclined runway portion and adapted immediately to return to normal position should it be momentarily displaced, and separate fastening mean for attaching the hinge plates respectively to the band and to the ball-stop member, the fastening means bein so disposed relatively to the ball-stop member as to limit its swinging movement.

2. In a bowling alley ball-return runway having an inclined runway portion adjacent to one end thereof, a safety ball-stop for said runway comprising a generally circular band, flattened intermediately of its ends, adapted to bridge said inclined runway portion, a hinge comprising pinjointed hinge plates, said hinge being adapted to overhang one edge of said flattened band portion whereby one said hinge plate is free to swing in an arcuate path toward and away from a ball in its travel beyond said flattened band portion, a nonmetallic ball-stop member carried by said swinging hinge plate member adapted normally to cupy a position in the path of travel of the ball along said inclined runway portion, means for fastening one said hinge plate to said flattened band portion, and means for fastening said ballstop member to the other said hinge plate, said fastening means being 50 disposed that swinging movement of the ball-stop in one direction is limited by contact of the one said fastening means with the other whereas swinging movement of the ball-stop member in the opposite direction is limited by contact of one said fastening means with the ball-stop member itself.

3. In a bowling alley ball-return runway having an inclined runway portion adjacent to one end thereof, a generally circular band, flattened intermediately of its ends, mounted to said runway and arranged to bridge said inclined portion thereof, a hinge comprising hinge plates, one of which is fastened to said flattened band portion and the other of which overhangs one edge thereof for free swinging movement toward and from said inclined runway portion, a non-metallic ball-stop member fastened to said swingable hinge plate, said ball-stop member being adapted to normally occupy a position in the path of travel of the ball along said inclined runway portion, and means for fastening the hinge plates respectively to the band and to the ball-stop member, said means being so disposed relatively to the band and to the ball-stop member as to limit the swinging movement of the latter under ball impact.

4. In a bowling alley ball-return runway having an inclined runway portion adjacent to one end thereof, a generally circular band, flattened intermediately of its ends, mounted to said runway and arranged to bridge said inclined portion thereof, a hinge comprising hinge plates, one of which is fastened to said flattened band portion and the other of which overhangs one edge thereof for free swinging movement toward and from said inclined runway portion, a non-metallic ballstop member fastened to said swingable hinge plate, said ball-stop member being adapted to normally occupy a position in the path of travel of the ball along said inclined runway portion means for fastening the hinge plates respectively to the band and to the ball-stop member, said means being so disposed relatively to the band and to the ball-stop member as to limit the swinging movement of the latter under ball impact, and a shield fastened to and extending laterally out from said band along the edge thereof opposite to the overhanging hinge part for shielding the low side of the ball when trapped.

FRANCIS C. SAMS. 

